to think 'bastard' should not be used?

[hoppingElephant]

It is an unpleasant and derogatory term for a person born to unmarried parents. As a 'bastard' myself, and knowing many 'bastard' children I object to the word still being used fairly commonly. You wouldn't use the 'n' word or many other outdated derogatory terms, so why is it still acceptable to use this offensive term, including on MN to describe undesirable things 'bastard neighbours/drivers/insert word'?

Aibu?

tethersend, George Orwell had no idea about swear words if he thought that the "worst" thing one could call a woman was "cow"

My father was adopted, after having been born to an unmarried woman. 'Bastard' is the word he uses to describe himself and it pains him greatly that that is how is he thought of.

Phonebox, he was very posh

Words like 'cunt' have a dual meaning- in this case, it means both a vagina and a despicable person (usually male).

This does not mean that to call someone a cunt is to insult vaginas, just that the word is being used to mean the second definition; in the same way that nobody thinks that cricket is played with small, blind, flying rodents, or that anyone really believes that David Cameron's parents are unmarried.

George Orwell's post still rings true in a lot of ways, even 80 years on.

However it's interesting in that I reckon "fuck" has come back into more common usage for its original meaning (sex) due to its use in porn and other media rather than its use as an oath.

I'm a bastard, all the DC have been bastards (although the next one won't be) and use it. I don't think there's stigma around the original usage, so it isn't used offensively to mean that.